#GoogleWalkout
follows fallout over sex-extortion allegations

Employees
are walking out of Google offices worldwide in protest today as a
storm around the company’s handling of sexual harassment cases
continues to gather strength. Organizers of the Google Walkout for
Real ChangetellThe
New York Timesthat more than 1,500 employees, mostly
women, are planning to walk out from more than 60 percent of
Google’s offices at 11:10AM as timezones roll around the world.

“We
don’t want to feel that we’re unequal or we’re not respected
anymore,” said Claire Stapleton, a YouTube product marketing
manager, to theTimes.
“Google’s famous for its culture. But in reality we’re not even
meeting the basics of respect, justice and fairness for every single
person here.”

The
walkout is already taking place in Asian countries, where the
Thursday work day is well underway. Photos of walkouts from the
Tokyo and Singapore offices have been posted to the organizers’
official Twitter and Instagram accounts. Employees are using the
hashtag#GoogleWalkout.

Elevate
the Chief Diversity Officer to answer directly to the CEO and make
recommendations directly to the board of directors. In addition,
appoint an employee representative to the board.

This
is the flyer that employees who choose to walk out will be leaving
at their desk:

The
primary catalyst for the protest among employees has been the
fallout around allegations surrounding Android co-founder Andy
Rubin, who left the company in 2014.The
New York Timesreportedthat
Alphabet CEO Larry Page, who headed Google before its
reorganization, asked Rubin to resign following claims that he had
coerced an employee into performing oral sex on him in a hotel room
the previous year. Rubin received a $90 million exit package that
Google wasn’t obligated to grant, according to theTimes,along
with a supportive statement from Page.

Former
SVP of search Amit Singhal was similarly reported to have received
an exit package worth millions after leaving amid allegations of
sexual misconduct, while Google X director Rich DeVaul was allowed
to keep his job when Google decided to take ”appropriate corrective
action” following claims made by a prospective employee. DeVaulresignedearlier
this week after being named in theTimes’
story.

Current
Google CEO Sundar Pichai and VP of people operations Eileen Naughtonrespondedlast
week by saying that Google has fired 48 people for sexual harassment
in the past two years without giving any of them exit packages, but
didn’t deny any of the alleged details in theTimes’
report. Rubin said the story included “numerous inaccuracies about
my employment at Google and wild exaggerations about my
compensation” and refuted the central allegation of coercive oral
sex.

We’ll
be updating this story with developments as Google employees walk
out around the world.

Google
staff walk out over women's treatment

Staff
at Google offices around the world are staging an unprecedented
series of walkouts in protest at the company's treatment of
women.

The
employees are demanding several key changes in how sexual
misconduct allegations are dealt with at the firm, including a
call to end forced arbitration - a move which would make it
possible for victims to sue.

Google
chief executive Sundar Pichai has told staff he supports their
right to take the action.

"I
understand the anger and disappointment that many of you feel," he
said in an all-staff email. "I feel it as well, and I am fully
committed to making progress on an issue that has persisted for
far too long in our society… and, yes, here at Google, too."

A
Twitter feed titled@googlewalkouthas
documented the movement at Google's international offices.

Google
staff in Singapore, Zurich, London, Tokyo, Berlin and New York
were among those to take part.

Web
developer Sam Dutton who joined the walkout in London told the
BBC: "We're walking out to support colleagues in any workplace
that have suffered harassment and to ensure that perpetrators
aren't protected or rewarded."

On
Tuesday, another executive - this time from the company’s X
research lab - also resigned. Richard DeVaul was said to have made
unwanted advances towards a woman who was recently interviewed for
a job in which she would have reported to Mr DeVaul.

Mr
DeVaul has not commented since his resignation, but in the past
called the incident an "error of judgement".

At
least 48 other employees have been sacked for sexual harassment
without receiving a payout, Mr Pichai told staff. He admitted the
New York Times’ report had been "difficult to read".

What
do the employees want?

Staff
involved in Thursday's walkout will leave a note on their desks
telling colleagues: "I’m not at my desk because I’m walking out
with other Googlers and contractors to protest sexual harassment,
misconduct, lack of transparency, and a workplace culture that’s
not working for everyone."

The
elevation of the chief diversity officer to answer directly to
the CEO, and make recommendations directly to the board of
directors

The
appointment of an employee representative to the board

An
end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and
discrimination for all current and future employees

What
is forced arbitration?

Forced
arbitration, a common contract clause for Silicon Valley workers,
demands any disputes are dealt with internally rather than through
other methods such as the courts.

Critics
of forced arbitration say it is used to not only protect the
reputations of both the company and the accused, but also to
silence victims who are unable to appeal against decisions or take
further action.

"Employees
have raised constructive ideas for how we can improve our policies
and our processes going forward,” said Mr Pichai in a statement on
Wednesday evening.

"We
are taking in all their feedback so we can turn these ideas into
action."

What
else are Google employees angry about?

Co-ordinated
action of this scale is unprecedented at a Silicon Valley company,
but follows a trend for increasingly impassioned employee
activism.

"Women
are fed up, and I don't think it's just women,” said Prof Kellie
McElhaney, from the Haas School of Business.

"There
are a lot of ‘manbassadors' out there who are equally as fed up
and using their positions of power and voice, which can cost
Google money. I think you have to hit these companies where it
hurts.

"I
think it empowers other Google offices when women and men are
watching this happen, that they can do a similar action that's not
just sitting by or making comments to one another or sharing
emails."

Image
copyrightTWITTER/GOOGLEWALKOUTImage
captionThis
leaflet will be left on the desks of Google employees choosing
to take part in the coordinated action

In
the past year, Google employees have spoken out strongly against
the company’s work with the US Department of Defense, as well as
plans to re-enter the Chinese market with a search product.

The
Tech Workers Coalition, a San Francisco-based advocacy group, said
the day’s dispute was just one of several tech companies need to
address.

“We
stand in solidarity with the Google workers,” a spokesperson for
the group said.

“It’s
clear the executives won’t do this for us so we’re taking matters
into our own hands."